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Out Of The Darkness: The Story of Mary Ellen Wilson

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Out of the Darkness - The Story of Mary Ellen Wilson by Eric A. Shelman and Stephen Lazoritz, M.D. Dolphin Moon Publishing, CA. 1999. 342 pp. notes; index.

Out of the Darkness is not only the story of the abused child Mary Ellen Wilson of the latter 1800s, but also the story of Fanny Connor, her mother who abandoned her after the death of her husband in the Civil War; Mary Connolly, the stepmother who cruelly abused the girl; Henry Bergh, founder of the ASPCA, who anguished by Mary Ellen's case, founded the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children; the judge who presided over the court case of Mary Ellen, the journalist who covered it for the NY Tribune, and other individuals who were involved in the matter in various ways. The authors describe their book as dramatized history; it's based on extensive research, while employing the techniques of creative nonfiction, including scenes and dialogue, to bring Mary Ellen's story alive. Shelman's experience as a screenwriter is evident in the informative, revealing, and dramatic dialogue, pithy descriptive passages, and brisk narrative. Lazoritz is a pediatrician specializing in the care of abused and neglected children. He is also the director of the Child Protection Center at the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. The collaboration began with an acquaintance over the Internet. Out of the Darkness fills in considerable historical background on the timely subject of child abuse in American society. Mary Ellen eventually went on to lead a normal life, having two daughters who became school teachers.

Henry Berry, Book Reviewer

Editor/Publisher, The Small Press Book Review

"Out of the Darkness" is indeed the perfect title for the long-awaited telling of these events. For the past 50 years, only students and professionals in the child protection field have learned the profound significance of Mary Ellen's story. This, the first book entirely devoted to this landmark case, brings Mary Ellen to life along with all those who helped her survive.

The story opens in May 1864 on a battlefield in Cold Harbor, Virginia, as Thomas Wilson receives word of the birth of his little girl in New York City and dreams of returning soon to his wife, Fanny, and their child. Shortly afterward, however, he dies in battle.

Amid the hustle and bustle of New York City life, Mary Ellen's mother attempts to care for her little girl, but poverty soon forces her to abandon the child. We learn of Mary Ellen's stay in an almshouse for a time before being taken into a foster home where she is beaten, locked in a closet, burned, and permitted no contact with the outside world. She remains in this home for 6 long years.

Shelman and Lavoritz accurately and poignantly describe the New York City of the 1860s and 1870s, allowing the reader to experience the overcrowding and the sounds and smells of the infamous Hell's Kitchen area of NYC where Mary Ellen is finally found and rescued.

The story follows two threads, first told separately, and then woven skillfully together. We learn of Mary Ellen's plight, while at the same time in NYC, Henry Bergh is working to found the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). We are with Bergh as he enforces the new animal protection laws in NYC. He fights to protect them all --from turtles to horses. He is often ridiculed as he charges, "Turtle abuse!" But he persists. Amazingly, in 1874 there was no agency to aid mistreated children. When Etta Wheeler, a dedicated social worker, appeals to Bergh and his animal rights society to take the lead in the child's rescue, he and the ASPCA's talented attorney, Elbridge Gerry, conduct the then famous trial that ultimately brings Mary Ellen freedom and a new home and results in the founding of the New York City Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, still in existence today.

The story culminates in the standing-room-only trial where Mary Ellen's foster mother is charged on several felony counts. The authors effectively recreate the circuslike atmosphere that prevails throughout the trial at which witnesses from all walks of life testify about what they have seen and heard. The transcripts of the trial are complete and authentic.

While most will read this book as a novel, a complete index at the back provides access to the wealth of factual material carefully researched by the authors. An epilogue tells what finally happened to Mary Ellen as an adult. Adding to the authenticity are a number of previously unprinted photographs provided to the authors by relatives of the principals.

An invaluable reference for those interested in the history surrounding child and animal protection, "Out of the Darkness: The Story of Mary Ellen Wilson is also just "a good read."

This is a stirring book which holds a reader's attention from the first page until the last. As the true drama unravels, readers learn of the atrocities which were inflicted on an innocent little girl. Readers also learn of the birth of child protection in America as it unfolds through the efforts of a few determined and dedicated individuals. This is a "must read" for anyone with a heart for children and compassion for victims of abuse. Until now, this story was a missing piece of our history, yet it is now available for us to read about and learn from. Lazoritz and Shelman have shed light on this once overlooked part of our history, and they have indeed brought little Mary Ellen Wilson "Out of the Darkness". This is an extremely well written book, and its pages are packed with truth, spirit, and drama. Once read, it is a story you will never forget. Little Mary Ellen Wilson scampers through the pages as her story is told. Readers feel, hear, see, taste, dream, hope and live Mary Ellen's story as the authors reveal her life using words of truth filled with strokes of compassion. While growing up, little Mary Ellen Wilson had no toys to play with or books to read. Her life was a living nightmare. But now, Mary Ellen not only has a book, she has an audience. We must give this child and her book our full attention so that we learn from history's mistakes and strive to protect our children from the evil of child abuse. Lazortiz and Shelman have cause to celebrate in this masterpiece book. Mary Ellen's story will touch many lives through the pages of this book.

The biggest thing I can say is that this is a book that changed the way I think. My thoughts on animals, children and human rights were challenged. Thank you to the authors.

This story, is amazing. It is so well written that I couldn't put it down. I read the entire book the day I got it. The horror that this poor child went through is unbelievable, and the lack of help available to her at that time is shameful. Thank God for the ASPCA for helping this child when no one else could or would.

Shelman's portrayal of the young life of Mary Ellen Wilson is astounding. The author takes a very difficult subject, child abuse, and integrates it with the history of animal rights laws, leaving the reader totally engrossed in the story! Definitely a "must-read" book for all appetites!

Review of Out of the Darkness: The Story of Mary Ellen Wilson by Eric A. Shelman and Stephen Lazoritz, M.D. Dolphin Moon Publishing, 2003

I chose to review this book because it explains the job of a social worker in the early days of the profession. The book appealed to me as an author and advocate. Set in New York City immediately after the Civil War, this book offers a powerful story in a historical context. Using an original style that combines journalism with fiction, the writers completed a work of art that is based on a true story. The protagonist, Mary Ellen Wilson, was a real orphaned child who experienced devastating cruelty at the hands of the first woman to be tried and convicted of child abuse, Mary Connolly. The story climaxes when Etta Wheeler, a social worker; Henry Bergh, the founder of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals; and Elbridge Gerry, ASPCA attorney, come together to rescue Mary Ellen. It's nearly inconceivable that animals were awarded victims' rights before children.

Thomas Wilson was an immigrant from Ireland who fled the potato famine to shuck oysters at a New York City hotel. In 1861 he married Frances Connor, an English immigrant who he'd met while she was a laundress at the hotel. While he was on the front lines during the Civil War, she gave birth to their daughter, named Mary Ellen. The year the child was born was the same year that Tom Wilson died in battle, 1864.

Frances found it difficult to work and care for her child, so she sought the services of a woman named Martha Score. Childcare for the working poor in the tenements of New York City provided meager nutrition and crowded conditions with no sanitation. However, Miss Score took good care of the baby while Frances worked long hours at the hotel. Travel through the tenements was treacherous at night, so Frances could not visit her child as often as she wished. After her husband died during battle, Fanny turned to alcohol for solace, leading to the loss of her job. Eventually, Fanny died in an "inebriate's asylum." When the war ended, working women returned to housekeeping as their husbands went to work. This left Miss Score with no income, thereby having to abandon the then two-year old Mary Ellen to Blackwell Island almshouse. Mary Ellen was illegally adopted to the evil Mrs. Connolly, where she suffered for seven years.

Etta Wheeler worked for St. Luke's Mission; she cared for the "outdoor poor" and frail elderly in the slums of the city. When neighbors spoke about the cries of a child called Mary Ellen, Miss Wheeler used all available resources to rescue Mary Ellen. However, she was often told by pastors, police, and lawyers to not interfere in the family's business. Undaunted by the advice, Etta persisted in her rescue efforts, eventually aided by Henry Bergh of the ASPCA. In 1874, with police assist, Mary Ellen was carried out of the abusive home, covered with a horse blanket provided by the ASPCA. The court proceedings set a precedent: "There had never been a recognized way to remove a child from an unfit home." The jury trial resulted in felony assault charges against Mrs. Connolly.

Etta Wheeler's sister, who lived on a farm in upstate New York, legally adopted Mary Ellen. Etta continued her social work in the tenements of New York City, where she was needed most. Mary Ellen eventually married, and her daughters spoke of their mother's burns and cuts that never fully healed. However, Mary Ellen lived until the age of ninety-two, surviving her husband by thirty-one years. Meanwhile, Mr. Bergh founded the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Mr. Gerry was responsible for forming the initial laws pertaining to the rights of children.

This story will cause the reader to wince at the cruelty and rejoice at the rescue. Perhaps the most poignant message in the book comes with the ending: "Perhaps we should see Mary Ellen not as the victim of abuse, but as the survivor, and as a persistent reminder that the efforts of a few people on behalf of one child can make a real difference." As a social worker, that is my hope.
review by Lynn C. Tolson

I'm not regarded as intelligent and not an avid reader, for that matter either, but Out Of The Darkness captivated me. I found that I could'nt put the book down. Waiting at (Cheap Tickets) with a number 33 in my hand, just hoping I'll finish chapter 12 before they call my number. Behind a long row of cars waiting for the light to turn green, hoping that it would not until Henry finished his rescue of a cat. That night, in my dreams, I could hear the echos of little Mary Wilson crying. I feel this is a very important book, a book that begs to be on the wide screen so people like me, can slurp fruit punch and gnaw on dots while unscard by childhood brutality watching a small army of angels battle the fierce monster. Surely out of the thousands who've read Out Of The Darkness, one will have some influence in Hollywood and take the lead.

Even as a well-rounded book reader, I must admit that the subject of child abuse was not one of great interest to me UNTIL I read the Out of the Darkness. Historical facts are presented in a well-written novel format seducing the reader into an almost voyeuristic journey into the life of Mary Ellen. Definitely a book difficult to put down until finished, it carries the reader into some of the most unspeakable acts of child abuse and finally presents resolution and the heroes who fought hard to end such abuse. A must-read for anyone angered by injustices to the defenseless.

The authors of this book have created a wonderful window of understanding how child abuse/neglect has evolved over the years. This book should be required reading for anyone interested in the human service field. Through the heart-felt story of Mary Ellen, we can see why there is such a strong need to protect children and continue to evolve for many more years. Thank you to Shelman & Lazoritz for telling such an important story.